The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given a thumbs up to the first-ever prescription video game for treating ADHD in kids. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly four million children in the US between the age group of six to eleven years old are diagnosed with ADHD every year. The average ratio shows a discrepancy with boys more prone to the disorder. However, the landmark decision by the US FDA is a positive step forward in changing the conventional treatment methodology for kids with ADHD.
Digital health company Akili Interactive has successfully designed a digitally therapeutic prescription video game intended to improve attention among kids with ADHD. Having created history, Akili CEO Eddie Martucci proudly explicated, “With EndeavorRx, we’re using technology to help treat a condition in an entirely new way as we directly target neurological function through medicine that feels like entertainment.” The aim is to change tides in terms of the way cognitive issues like ADHD are treated. Introducing it as an alternative, Akili also elaborated on how, when playing EndeavorRx, the side effects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, including frustration and headache are much milder when compared to traditional drugs.
EndeavorRx -An iPhone and iPad Game
Being touted as the most unique non-drug alternative, FDA released a press note approving the video game, stating that as different treatment method will be used to help treat kids with “inattentive or combined-type ADHD who have demonstrated an attention issue.”
The approval was granted via the FDA’s de novo pathway, creating a new category of medical devices. The heads up was based on researched data from five submitted clinical studies, studying a total of more than 600 children with ADHD symptoms. The advancement clearly indicates that the future ADHD diagnoses will allow doctors to prescribe the game to kids who they feel will need it. In 2017, Akili announced that it had achieved its primary endpoint in a pivotal study of the treatment.
Prescription Video Game: Next Step
Surely the commencement of the new scope of treatment, EndeavorRx is only the beginning. The company plans to launch a new software, Akili Care. Akili Care will serve as a mobile tracking app and personal support services for caregivers. Both of these will be packaged and distributed under the Endeavor Care Program.
EndeavorRx will be made available on the Apple App Store soon. The company has still not confirmed if the game will be available for Android users, yet. In a press release, the company stated that during the lockdown, the company gave access to prescription video game. However, it was available to a limited number of families initially. The advancement is a great achievement in the field and is being perceived as an alternative-therapy treatment to combat ADHD symptoms.
Stay tuned for more updates around technological benefits in health and fitness!
